A small team of Johannesburg-based Scorpions were dispatched yesterday to a magistrate's court in Cape Town for the bail application hearing of the man allegedly found in possession of passwords and login details of about 50 Standard and First National Bank customers.
"It was successful, the bail application was refused - and the Scorpions were commended on high levels of preparation," says the Scorpions chief investigating officer Piet Pieterse.
"Things are getting interesting," he adds.
The man has been identified as John Martins, a Nigerian who entered SA illegally, but gained legal residency status while here through marriage to a South African woman.
Martins is to appear in court again on 28 July to face charges of fraud and theft. The amount of money stolen is still not clear at this stage, though the banks have said it was not a huge amount.
"Investigations into his financial affairs are still continuing," explains another member of the Scorpions team, who wishes not to be named due to the nature of his work.
"Providing a service to the banking industry is very important to us," adds the source.
Both Pieterse and the unnamed source decline to comment on the progress of the Scorpion's questioning of four other individuals also suspected to be involved in the syndicate.
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